“and we do five duets in the show, which is a lot for
a guest artist – popular arias that audiences love
such as music from Romeo and Juliet, La Traviata
and La Bohème.”
The singer recently performed a concert
featuring underappreciated repertoire by Latin
American composers. “Once you know this music,
you love it,” she claims. “But many singers shy away
from performing Latin American classical music
because they aren’t comfortable singing in Spanish
or Portuguese. They may have studied French and
Italian, but probably have not studied these
languages.” She showcased tangos by Argentina’s
Astor Piazzolla, a Zarzuela by Cuban composer
Lecuona, “Bachianas Brasileiras” by Brazil’s Heitor
Villa-Lobos, and some traditional Spanish pieces by
De Falla. “This has become an ongoing personal
project,” Larisa explains. “I’m trying to unearth Latin
American works that have never been performed or
A summer moment with the Havana
Chamber Orchestra. Napa Festival. 2017.
recorded. Eventually, I would love to do a recording
featuring unknown Latin American composers in the
lyrical repertoire.”
Larisa and Andrea Bocelli on tour.
American Airlines Arena.
For an artist dealing with a bruising schedule of
performances and special projects, it’s not surprising
that Larisa has had little time for a life offstage.
“That’s true, but there is always time for the
important things in life” she observes before
revealing that her boyfriend had proposed marriage
to her a few days earlier. Her significant other turns
out to be none other than celebrity violinist Joshua
Bell, with whom she’s had a fruitful onstage
relationship for several years. “We are both very
ambitious in our own careers,” she adds. “So we
perfectly complement one another.”
LS
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Larisa visits students at Sherman Multicultural Arts School in Milwaukee, 2016.
26 LATINAStyle www.latinastyle.com Vol. 25, No. 1, 2019
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